Electron impulse applicator and method of using electron impulse applicator



Oct. 1, 1968 R. F. CROMLEY 3,403,685

ELECTRON IMPULSE APPLICATOR AND METHOD OF USING ELECTRON IMPULSE APPLICATOR Filed April 8, 1964 INVENTOR 58 Robert F. Cromley United States Patent 3,403,685 ELECTRON IMPULSE APPLICATOR AND METHOD OF USING ELECTRON IMPULSE APPLICATOR Robert F. Cromley, 5900 Hampton St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206 Filed Apr. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 358,238 4 Claims. (Cl. 128419) The present invention relates to electron impulse applicator and method of using electron impulse applicator and particularly to a highly efficient portable electrostatic generator for therapeutic use and to a method of treating inflamed and contused areas.

The use of electrostatic charges for therapeutic treatment is very old. However, its practice has over the years been beset with numerous difficulties which have led to its virtual abandonment. The electrostatic machines which were available prior to the present invention were excessively large in size, unreliable, subject to short circuit, to severe corrosion from the ionized gases and to many other drawbacks. These drawbacks were pointed out by Dr. Frederic DeKraft, M.D., in the American Journal of Electrotherapeutics and Radiology, December 1917, pp. 562-566; and by Dr. William B. Snow in American Journal of Electrotherapeutics and Radiology, January 1923, pp. 9-23. The very significant and satisfactory therapeutics effects are also pointed out in the foregoing papers. However, the problems of maintaining and operating electrostatic generators of the time were so great that the practice has virtually been abandoned. The practical effect of static electricity on relief of contusions, inflammations and swollen tissues has been well established by clinical testing by many medical authorities.

I have invented an electron impulse applicator which overcomes these problems of the prior art. The generator of my invention is portable, is driven at an easily regulated and constant speed, is free from short circuiting, free from corrosion by ionized gases and completely reliable.

Preferably, I provide a pair of spaced dielectric discs rotatably mounted on low anti-friction bearings on a common axis, a plurality of conducting carriers fixed to and spaced in a certain way on one surface of each of said discs, drive means for rotating said discs in opposite directions at a plurality of selectable speeds, a raised contact portion on each conducting carrier, two pairs of collector brushes adapted to contact the raised contact portions on each conducting carrier, one set of said brushes being positive and the other negative, and a corrosion resistant coating on one of said sets of brushes. Preferably, the dielectric discs are mounted on needle bearings rotating on a common hardened shaft which shaft is adjustable with respect to the drive means. A timer is preferably placed in the drive circuit to control the length of time of operation.

In the foregoing general descritpion, I have set out certain objects, advantages and purposes of my invention. Other objects, advantages and purposes will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation with a portion of the housing removed;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a brush used in my invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the disc and anti-friction bearing arrangement;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the bearing, shaft and brush assembly; and

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of the housing and applicator arrangement of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a case or housing 10 having vents 11 in the end wall and louvered openings 12 in the rear wall. A hinged top 13 is hinged to the rear wall and a front removable panel 14 is hinged to form a portion of the front wall and end walls. The removable panel is made up of two hinged sections 14a and 14b as shown. A pair of dielectric discs 15 and 16, respectively, are fixed to hubs 17 each of which carry two needle bearing assemblies 18 and 19 separated by a spacer 20 so that the bearings extend out of the hubs. The inner bearings 19 bear against one another to space the dielectric discs apart. The outer bearings 18 abut against stops 21 which position the dielectric discs on hardened shaft 22. The shaft 22 is fixed in a yoke 23 which fits over a slot 24 in a dielectric spacer member 25 extending parallel to the plane of the discs 15 and 16. A support bar 26 extends across the open end of slot 24 Within the yoke and is adjustably positioned by screw 26a. The ends of spacer 25 are connected together by a conductor spacer 27. The spacers 25 are supported on one end of a vertical conductor post 28, the opposite end of which is fixed to a non-conductive base 29. Each of the dielectric discs is provided with spaced conductive carriers 30 in the form of pie shaped members. Each such conductor carrier is provided with a raised contactor portion 31. These portions 31 are preferably of steel and chrome plated to eliminate the formation of black corrosion products on the brushes. Brushes 32, preferably l80 apart, are adjustably positioned through the conductor spacer 27 and dielectric spacer 25 at each end of the dielectric spacer so that the brushes pass in close proximity to the raised conductor portions 31. A second set of brushes 33, preferably 60 from brushes 32, are mounted on arms 34 in turn affixed to the conductor support or post 28. These brushes 33 are made up of a tip portion 35 coated with a corrosion resistant metal such as solder and a body portion 36 separated by keeper 37. The body 36 is mounted in a holder 38 which is adjusted in arms 34 by screw 39 and lock nut 40. The tip portion 35 is positioned to contact the raised conductive portions 31 as the discs are rotated.

A counter shaft 41 is mounted between and journaled in the vertical conductor posts 28. The counter shaft is provided with a main drive pulley 42 and disc drive pulleys 43 and 44 which drive the discs in opposite directions by belts 45 and 46 over hubs 17 as shown most clearly in FIGURE 2. A drive motor 47 is connected by belt 48 to pulley 42. The motor 47 is controlled by a rheostat 48, timer 49 and switch 50 in a control box 51 carrying a signal light 52 in parallel with the circuit to indicate that the machine is operable. Plug jack 53 is provided in the conductor post 28 and plug jack 54 in conductor spacer 27. These jacks are aligned with openings 55 and 56 in the front wall of the carrying case or housing 10 to receive the treatment applicator or probe 58 and negative lead or probe 57.

In the use of my invention for therapeutic treatment, the negative lead 57 in jack 53 is held by the patient in either hand. The positive applicator 58 in jack 54 is applied directly to the skin moving the applicator slowly covering the area to be treated and over the central nerve nearest injury. The switch 50 is turned on, the timer 49 set and the rheostat 48 positioned for the correct rotational speed of the discs 15 and 16. Preferably a time of treatment of 10 to 12 minutes is sufficient at periodic intervals. Current flows from the rheostat to motor which rotates shaft 41 to drive hubs 17 and thereby discs 15 and 16. As the discs rotate in opposite directions a static electrical charge accumulates on carriers 30 which is discharged through brushes into the body and back to the machine.

Preferably the four brushes 33 are positioned so that as they touch a contact 31 on the disc the nearest corner brush 32 passes over a conductor portion 30. Such synchronization increases the output potential of the machine. The conductor spacers 27 are preferably made of aluminum and arranged so that they may be moved toward and away from the discs. The voltage output increases as the spacers 27 are brought closer to the discs and decreases as they are moved away.

In the preferred practice of my invention the positive applicator is applied directly to the skin while being moved slowly over the affected area and particularly over the central nerve center nearest the affected or injured area. The treatments are preferably given once a day for ten to twelve minutes. The high voltage, low amperage current from the device of my invention is very constant in its character and appears to have a unique effect in reducing inflammation and repairing damage to neurons of the nervous system. This is evident from the rapid reduction of inflammation and the increased sensitivity of treated areas immediately following treatment.

While I have illustrated and described a present preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An electrostatic machine for therapeutic treatment comprising a pair of spaced dielectric discs rotatably mounted on anti-friction bearings on a common shaft, support means for said shaft, drive means for rotating said discs in opposite directions at selected speeds, a plurality of conducting carriers fixed to and spaced about one surface of each said disc, said conducting carriers each having a raised contact portion, and two pairs of collector brushes adapted intermittently to make electrical contact with the raised contactor portions of the conducting carriers of each of said discs, at least one pair of which are provided with a non-corrosive coating and an electrode means connected to each pair of brushes.

2. An electrostatic machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pair of brushes provided with a non-corrosive coating are the negative pole brushes.

3. An electrostatic machine for therapeutic treatment comprising a shaft, anti-friction bearings on said shaft, a pair of spaced dielectric discs rotatably mounted on said anti-friction bearings on said common shaft, yoke means carrying the ends of said shaft for vertical adjustment, support means for said yoke means, drive means for ID- tating said discs in opposite directions at selected speeds, a plurality of conducting carriers fixed to and spaced about one surface of each said disc, said conducting carriers each having a raised contact portion, and a pair of positive collector brushes intermittently contacting electrically the raised contactor portions of each of the conducting carriers of each of said discs, said brushes being substantially 180 apart, a pair of negative brushes provided with a non-corrosive coating adapted to contact the raised contactor portions of each conducting carrier and spaced substantially from said positive brushes and flexible probe means communicating with each set of brushes.

4. An electrostatic means as claimed in claim 3 wherein the drive means is an electric motor and timer means and a speed control rheostat are provided to automatically control the time of operation and speed of said electric motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 331,754 12/1885 Atkinson 310--7 565,056 8/1896 Waite 128-413 X 852,133 4/1907 Moliere 128172.1 2,838,672 6/1958 Paust 128--420 X RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

W. E. KAMM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTROSTATIC MACHINE FOR THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED DIELECTRIC DISCS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON ANTI-FRICTION BEARINGS ON A COMMON SHAFT, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID SHAFT, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISCS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AT SELECTED SPEEDS, A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTING CARRIERS FIXED TO SAID SPACED ABOUT ONE SURFACE OF EACH SAID DISC, SAID CONDUCTING CARRIERS EACH HAVING A RAISED CONTACT PORTION, AND TWO PAIRS OF COLLECTOR BRUSHES ADAPTED INTERMITTENTLY TO MAKE ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE RAISED CONTACTOR PORTIONS OF THE CONDUCTING CARRIERS OF EACH OF SAID DISC, AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF WHICH ARE PROVIDED WITH A NON-CORROSIVE COATING AND AN ELECTRODE MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH PAIR OF BRUSHES. 